Tutorial: New Mexico AMB Blog Tour Block

Here's the New Mexico Block for the American Made Brand Blog Tour:

I made a chart to help with cutting, piecing, and organizing.

I also made a chart in EQ7 that showed a bit more detail to help me envision fabric placement:

It's not entirely accurate since I cut the top and bottom strips wider than the colored strips.

We can print this photo and write in colors and measurements or use the chart below.

For this block, cut the top and bottom strips of dark butter fabric 13 inches by 1.5 inches.
All other strips are cut 1.25 inches wide.

New Mexico’s AMB Road Trip Measurements

Column 1	Column 2	Column 3a	Column 3b
60 dark butter 13"
33 aqua*	34 dark aqua*
32 light aqua*	97 light sky*
81 dark tomato 3"	113 forest 4.5 "	85 periwinkle 3"	8 light yellow 4.5"
37 dark orange 4"	22 dark green 4.5"	28 dark purple 2.75	68 gold 3.75”
78 dark fuchsia 5"	24 olive 4.5"	69 dark gold 5"
61 brick 6"	18 lime 4.5 "	72 rust 4"
60 dark butter 13"

When I pieced my block, I began by piecing the brick/lime/rust row and then worked toward the top of the chart. For each of the strips of color we turn the seam toward the darker fabric and finger press (or press with an iron). 

I found I stayed more organized if I sewed each new row to the previous row as I worked upward. I waited until I had finished the entire block to press the horizontal seams toward the top of the block.

*When we reach the blues, piece diagonally, as shown below, placing the fabric to the right in the finished strip on top of the left color; then sew from top to bottom where the fabrics cross.

Once seamed, we can trim the seam to 1/4 inch and turn it toward the darker fabric.

Then choose a pleasing spot to align with the next strips, cut to 13" and sew to the colors.

Once the entire block has been well pressed, trim it so that it measures 12.5 inches wide and 6.5 inches high.

Once the block was pieced, I used a red Micron 01 pen.

I slipped two sheets of card stock between the seam and the top layer to make a smoother surface on which to write. 

I placed a ruler on top of the card stock and fabric so that I could be sure my writing would not end up within the seam when this block gets pieced into a quilt top.

 I centered "New Mexico" on the top dark butter strip.

I wrote "Land of Enchantment" on the lightest blue strip.

Cautions:
Be sure to stitch scant 1/4 inch seams.  Because there are eight rows in this block, it is very easy to to multiply even a tiny error in seam allowances so that the block is not the correct size.

You may have noticed that I added side borders of dark butter to my block.  This is because when the section of strips was finished, it was just shy of 12.5 inches.  Therefore, I revised the chart so that the strips on the ends were longer so that when you trim, there will be no need for those tiny side borders.

Give-Away:
The Give-Away for this blog stop is on this linked post (*not* on the one you are reading now).
It includes a little bundle of AMB fat quarters and, for a second winner, a mini-kit of the strips used to make this block. Deadline for the drawings: Wednesday, June 25. This give away is closed.

Links to the other 49 blogs and blocks are available on this linked web page.

The great thing about this cotton is that it is grown, spun, woven, and dyed in the United States. Of course, it is wonderful that it comes in a wide range of colors, has a lovely hand that makes it perfect for quilts, clothing, and a wide range of little projects, and is available at a great price.

Thank you to Clothworks/AMB and all the wonderful bloggers who designed and posted license plate blocks reflecting their states.  Thank you as well to all the bloggers who helped promote this blog tour.

Happy travels.....

New Mexico's AMB Give-Away

You've arrived at New Mexico's stop on the American Made Brand Blog Tour.

Here is the New Mexico block, license plate sized.

This 12 X 6 inch block was made to honor Clothworks' new American Made Brand cotton.  The great thing about this cotton is that it is grown, spun, woven, and dyed in the United States. Of course, it is wonderful that it comes in a wide range of colors, has a lovely hand that makes it perfect for quilts, clothing, and a wide range of little projects, and is available at a great price. In exchange for creating this block, I was provided with an AMB color card and a swatch of each color.  I'll be sending this block back to AMB so it can become part of a quilt that will be seen at the 2014 Fall International Quilt Festival.

About New Mexico

New Mexico was the 47th state, admitted to the union January 6, 1912. One hundred and two years later, many people who should know better think we are part of a nation to the south. This link on Ask.com, accessed today, claims we are a state in Mexico rather than part of the United States of America. Of course, you can glean more information about New Mexico on Wikipedia. I'm going to share some additional, more personal, information about the state where I've lived for nearly 26 years.

As a very young reader, I became intrigued with New Mexico when my family visited Rosemary and Ray Satterfield in El Paso, Illinois. They had a huge stack of New Mexico magazines they had subscribed to for many years. I loved reading the magazines while the grown-ups talked--and dreaming of a future visit.  (Of course, my classmate, Jane Panther, had already visited 47 states, so I knew it was possible.)

When I was in college, one of my former roommates enrolled in a master's program in TESOL at UNM in Albuquerque, and I flew out to spend 10 days visiting her and exploring Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and other nearby sites.  My experience was that New Mexico was living up to its reputation as The Land of Enchantment. (That phrase became part of our license plates in 1941 and our state's official motto in 1999.)

Although most people driving across New Mexico along an east-west route travel via I-40, they encounter constant reminders of Route 66; although various portions of the original Route 66 have been renamed, portions of the original route are still in existence.  When I arrived, I first lived in Gallup and taught on the Navajo reservation. While our state is a "majority-minority" state, meaning Anglos are in the minority,  my teaching jobs for the Gallup-McKinley Schools (the district covers more land area than the entire state of Connecticut) and on the Zuni Pueblo, gave me not only a deep appreciation for those cultures but also new personal experiences being a minority.

While outsiders often assume New Mexicans speak Spanish,  the most common languages are English, Spanish, and Navajo, in that order.  In addition a variety of other languages are heard, including a variety of Native American languages, including seven Tewa dialects.  The Zuni language is not related to the other languages.  In fact, Zuni was an unwritten language until the 1970's when Wycliffe Bible translators arrived on the Pueblo. While some people assume we have some kind of amalgamated Native American Culture, the fact is that each tribe and pueblo is quite distinct. Our state constitution is written in both English and Spanish, both official languages of the state. It is fairly common for citizens to be bilingual or trilingual.

There are countless incidents of otherwise bright people failing to recognize that we are one of the 50 states of the United States.  A couple decades ago a bureaucrat at the IRS called our Senator Domenici reminding him that he needed to fill out his tax return as a resident alien (a failure of reason on several levels)!  Each month New Mexico Magazine publishes several anecdotes of such incidents.  And yes, despite the fact that the New Mexico Territory included portions of present day California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado, I have seen a map that acknowledged the other states and omitted us!

A few years ago, the state began adding "USA" after New Mexico; I was glad.  I know that the officer who stopped me in Topeka, KS before the USA was added probably thought I was in the country illegally.  (I've often wondered if he was surprised to see that two of the occupants were Chinese?!)

Aside from sunshine and blue skies nearly every day, one of the things I value most about New Mexico is our diversity and the fact that our citizens value that diversity.  Therefore,  I used  many colors in this block to represent our diversity.

My blog will publish directions for making the New Mexico block on Saturday, June 21 at noon Mountain Daylight Time.

Readers can register for two give-aways.
The first is a bundle of fat quarters from American Made Brand.

A second drawing will be for a kit of strips that are used in the New Mexico block.

Earn entries to the drawings by leaving a comment on this post and following my blog by e-mail or a feed such as Bloglovin (links in column to the right) or other format.  (If you subscribe by the e-mail subscription link to the right of this column, you will need to check the e-mail address with which you subscribe and verify your subscription or you will not be subscribed.)

1. You may earn one entry by leaving a comment that includes the name of the state where you live.

2. Earn a second entry by leaving a comment that lets me know how you are following this blog. 

Please note that this blog does not allow anonymous comments and that I must be able to e-mail the winners (so if your profile does not include your e-mail address, please include it).  For this drawing, winners must have a U.S. mailing address; this is a condition required by AMB due to the expense of foreign postage (very sorry, world-wide readers).

If any spam gets through, of course I will delete it.

The winners will be drawn on Wednesday, June 25 and will be notified via e-mail. Failure to respond will result in another winner being drawn on June 27. (While I usually reply to comments, that's probably not going to happen this time; however, I rejoice in every comment and in every opportunity to make new friends.)

      As of 8:39 PM Wednesday, June 25, 2014, comments are closed for this post.

Good luck!

You can find links to the other 49 blog stops here.

Happy quiltmaking and knitting.....,

Lucky Again!

I just found out I've won again!

This week Fil-Tec Threads are introducing their new Affinity Colors.  Affinity is the variegated version of Glide Thread.  Over at their page on Facebook they are having a week of twice-a-day giveaways of their new Affinity colors before all of the new colors are available for purchase on Friday.

This is the color that I've won; it will be used to quilt a watery-colored batik prayer quilt for a lovely 93-year-old named Loreta.

I'm amazed to have won two things within two weeks.

Happy quiltmaking and knitting......

Little Update....

Have spent some time quilting a prayer quilt that I started over a year ago...

Treadling my vintage Necchi BU....

Progress came to a standstill about a year ago because I didn't have suitable border, binding, and backing fabrics....and, let's face it, because I just have a hard time working with these kinds of colors.  I would love to have a better understanding of why different brains react to different colors in different ways.  Despite the wild popularity of Civil War color themes, I just don't respond to those, although I did love making the Mark Twain Quilt for my brother-in-law ( part 1 here, part 2 here,  part 3 here). I think the pleasure in making that quilt had a lot to do with whom it was for, that  I made it at an idyllic place to which I'll likely never return (because my wonderful friend feels that at her age she can no longer maintain two homes), and because I used so many blues and greens in it.

I keep thinking that if I'm going to continue making prayer quilts for men, I need to come up with some new strategies. Now that Clothworks has started American Made Brand (AMB) totally American grown and milled cottons, I could make some quilts with solids that I like, so they wouldn't be so "girly." By the way, this blog will be a stop on the AMB Blog Tour, June 19 on Day 24 of the 25 day tour.  (That's because New Mexico was one of the last four states to be granted statehood.)

Quilting progress was also slowed by the fact that I had to get a new water heater this week.  They are warranted for only six years, so I'm glad mine lasted almost nine years.  However, the price has doubled, and I wonder how elderly people with limited incomes manage to deal with such sudden expenditures.

The other thing that died was my Kindle Fire HD.  No, I did not drop it, spill liquid on it (apparently I just spill liquid on my clothes!), nor crack the screen.  My phone calls to Kindle support kept getting dropped, but eventually we managed to sort things out, so a new one is on its way.  (However, I'm left wondering why Amazon 2-day shipping ends up taking five to seven days!) I do like the Kindle Fire because I can take it with me when we make our long trek to CNM's Westside campus and read blogs and knit while my daughter is in class.

More busy stuff this weekend--including a Duke City Sound concert this afternoon.  Then tomorrow our church Jugband will take part in church services in Estancia and Mountainair.  By the way, the J.U.G. stands for "Joy Under God."  There are only two jugs, one of which is antique but silent so far, and plenty of singers, guitars, usually an amazing pianist who plays by ear, a couple mandolins, one or two real washtub basses, and sometimes a fiddle or harmonica, and a lovely 93 year old who plays the washboard.  We do make a joyful noise!

Happy quiltmaking..and knitting,

ABQ Quilt, Craft, & Sewing Festival

As I mentioned in a previous post, from May 22-24, Albuquerque was blessed by a Quilt, Craft, & Sewing Festival. Even the  times I've gone to really big, national shows, I've come away with negligible purchases, so I'd like to encourage people to attend this show if it's within driving difference.  Their next show will be in Castle Rock, CO July 10-11, 2014, and the vendors do vary with the event. (One of my friends lives near their Puyallup show, and I've wanted to attend for a long time.)

Here are some photos of what followed me home:

Sweet Teen was shocked because she knows I love choosing fabrics for quilts, but I loved these and thought they would make a very cheery prayer quilt without my having to dig around in my stash.  (Karen does not have an online store; she just enjoys gathering fabrics and marketing at shows--and getting to travel to them.)

These batiks are from Rabbit Hole Quilt Shop from Chico, CA.  I dyed one almost like the pink a few years ago when I was still dyeing fabrics every few months.  I do not know if I'll manage to find any time to dye this summer.

These are from Desert Stitchin; Chris and John are from Goodyear, AZ and vend at shows in the Southwest. I purchased these for a "watery" baby quilt for one of my colleagues. The Bali charm pack at the bottom is the door prize I won from their shop at the show.  That has never happened to me before!  Well, at least not since I won my Charlotte doll at Mrs. Beatty's gift shop on December 18--somewhere around 60 years ago.  I guess this could mean that if I live another 60 years, I might win again? I was pretty amazed when my name was called.

I was near the Busy Bee booth when my name was called.  One of the owners exclaimed, "Dora Scheer?  And I don't hear any clapping or cheering?  We'll cheer for you!"

These are for a three year old girl who loves pink and purple and needs a quilt because she's soon going to be a big sister, so I've been pulling pink and purple batiks from my stash. Actually, I picked these up at the shop, not at the show.  The show gave the owners a chance to discover that a lot of people in our area didn't yet realize their shop was nearby.  It's a great little shop with the best service I've experienced in my 40+ years of quilt shops.  They have many ongoing block of the month quilts from some of the best designers.  I most often pop into their shop for a few fat quarters or for yardage to make a special prayer quilt.  The owners and their employees are unfailingly helpful and friendly.

As much as I love the fabrics, these are my favorite purchases from the show.  The stylus is also a set of screw drivers perfect for my sewing machines, and the other is a seam ripper (a belated Mother's Day gift from Sweet Teen).  Sweet Teen had a lovely conversation about engineering with the engineer who was acting as cashier.  Lumenaris also sells 100% wool felt.

Hopefully, this show will return to Albuquerque next year.  It would be lovely if they could piggyback onto the Albuquerque Fiber Arts Fiesta.

Happy quiltmaking...and knitting....

Treasured Old Thing

Any knowledge of this treasure?

 This was gifted to me in a collection of someone's old sewing stuff.  I immediately recognized it.  A half-century and more in the past, women created these lovelies to fasten in the eyelets of their window shades to help raise and lower them.  The center is probably a bone ring, but it's so tightly packed with thread that I can't pull it apart to check.

I decided to untie it, rip back the chain, refasten it and use it as a spool pin doily on my treadle sewing machine.  I do love these treasures.

I don't like the next messes:

These were little gifties found in my Hobbs batting...Grease and dirt probably, but right in the middle!!!  I hope all you quilters escape any encounters with them!!


Happy quiltmaking...and knitting....

Quilt Craft Festival Treasure

Last Thursday when I finished work and picked my daughter up from her chemistry classes on Albuquerque's west side, we had time to drive to the the NM State Fairgrounds on Albuquerque's east side and attend the Quilt Craft Festival.

I promise to post more photos of purchases, but I've had the chance to use these already, and I love them!

I boldly suggested Sweet Teen might want to gift me with the seam ripper, since we moved her out of her dorm room and back home so she didn't have a chance to get me a Mother's Day gift.  She agreed.  And in my gratitude, I gifted myself with the stylus, which also can utilize all those screw driver tips.  Love, love, love using these--and I hope I'm able to keep track of them forever!!!!

We may or may not have stopped for some chocolate and from The Chocolate Cartel and some of the Van Rixel Brothers' gelato.

Be sure to check out the American Made Blog Tour here: http://americanmadebrand.com/blogtour/

Happy quiltmaking...and knitting.....

Quilting Love and Prayer

Last winter one of my favorite church friends became ill and spent weeks in the hospital.  (Actually, several church friends spent weeks in hospitals and rehab; it was a bleak winter in more ways than one.)

One of the sad things was that for at least a couple of years, I have been planning to make quilts for several of my favorite church friends who are aging beautifully but becoming frail.  When Ms. Ruth became ill, I'd already begun planning a quilt for her to be made from fabrics chosen by Ms. Mary. Our Victory Quilt ministry gave her a quilt, but I began searching for time to make this one:

 I finished the quilting a couple of weeks ago.  The above photo is of the completed quilt before Ms. Mary took it to sew down the binding.  We were able to give it to Ms. Ruth a little over a week ago.

Here are some close-ups of the details:

 This is my very favorite part of this quilt.  I packed lots of extra details into this section of the quilting--and it just makes me happy!

It took a bit of inspiration to figure out how to quilt those tiny triangle blocks, but this worked.

If you are a quilter, I hope you've had a chance to make a quilt filled with love and prayers for one of your special friends too.

I'm linking to Connie's Tuesday Party at Freemotion by the River.

Happy quiltmaking...and knitting....

What is this?....

Here are some hints:

A few months ago, I made this.

 Today I made this:

Here's the exterior:

 As usual, quilting was a lot more fun than choosing fabrics and piecing.  It's pieced from more leftovers, mostly from Sweet Teen's college quilt.

Here it is with a couple of the Velcro dots in use:

Here's a side view:

Now you know, don't you?  It's a keyboard cover and stand so Sweet Teen can use her Kindle and Keyboard instead of hauling her laptop to class.  (She's also in the market for a new, smaller laptop. She says she has never once used her laptop for spread sheets--and that's why the "experts" she consulted suggested she buy the larger laptop in the first place.)

She did figure out that if she could take Chem II this summer, she could save a semester of college.
Unfortunately, the only class she could get into is 50 miles from home; so two days a week we are arising at 5:00 a.m., and I'm constantly reminding myself that saving the expense of a semester of college is definitely worth it.  (Secretly, I'm also praying she stays in materials engineering so that we don't end up with that extra semester anyway.--She's still hoping to do research in the field of nano-medicine.)

Second question:  What are these?

These are several pieces I'm likely to use in the American Made Brand 50 States American Blog Tour that began May 19 with a visit to two states each day.  My entry will appear here June 19 since New Mexico was one of the last four states to become part of the United States.  You'll find links to all the blogs here: http://americanmadebrand.com/blogtour/

Please let me share why I am so happy to be part of this tour.  These fabrics are made from cotton grown in the United States, processed in the United States, and milled and woven in the United States.  (We do grow cotton here in my state, but I don't think that's where AMB cotton is grown.)

I love the hand of this cotton, and I think all users will feel that way.  My secret hope is that one of these days they will weave some "shot-cottons" too.

I'm shocked that it's been so long since I've posted.  Life has been busy (but good), and today, Memorial Day, is my first official non-work day.  Since my next school year starts August 6, I'm going to try to be very productive this summer.  I love having time to sew, quilt, and have choices about my time, but of course, I love being a special ed teacher too, so I do have to make trade offs.  One of the trade-offs for the last two or three months is that there has been no time to read blogs.  So I'm sneaking some peaks at some today--how I've missed my blogging friends!!--and am hoping my own readers haven't forgotten that I exist! (There will be some prizes when my day on the American Made Brand blog tour happens!)

Oh, we've had 1.17 inches of rain!  That makes me very happy too!

I'm linking to Judy Laquidara's Design Wall so you can easily access her blog and that of other wonderful quilters.

Happy quiltmaking and knitting,...